Concerned about Tom Foley's ambiguity over a statewide ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, gun control advocates have set up a political action committee to pump money into the Connecticut governor's race.

The emergence of the PAC, an offshoot of Fairfield-based Connecticut Against Gun Violence, comes a week after multiple Second Amendment groups took credit for Foley's victory in the Republican primary over state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney.

McKinney, whose district includes Newtown, was a key architect of Connecticut's strict gun law, which was passed in response to the shootings.

Ron Pinciaro, the PAC's chairman, said that Foley needs to be more forthcoming about which components of the law he supports and which ones he does not.

"He's more than an unknown quantity," Pinciaro said. "I certainly wouldn't characterize him as Second Amendment candidate. (But) clearly, he is leaning toward that constituency."

Foley reiterated Thursday the legislation, signed into law by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and passed overwhelmingly by the General Assembly, would have been much different had he won the governor's race in 2010 and would have focused more on treating mental illness.

"I don't think I've been unclear," Foley said. "I didn't think that the governor should have exploited the Newtown tragedy to pass gun legislation that didn't address what happened in Newtown. To that extent, I believe it went too far. Most of what was in the gun bill did nothing to prevent another Newtown from happening."

Mark Bergman, a senior campaign adviser for Malloy, condemned Foley for his remarks.

"Mr. Foley ought to be ashamed of himself," Bergman said. "Connecticut's smart, strict gun-control legislation was passed with bipartisan support and had the support of the Newtown families. Mr. Foley, who, I might add, has never met with the Newtown families, should have the courage to ask them if they felt exploited."

The PAC estimated that it has spent $12,000 thus far, with most going to help or oppose General Assembly candidates who were involved in a primary.

Campaign filings show the group covered $500 in expenses from a July 21 protest outside a state GOP fundraiser attended by Foley and New Jersery Gov. Chris Christie in Greenwich, including transportation costs for gun-control advocates from Newtown.

Christie's visit angered gun-control advocates, including several of the Newtown shooting victims' families, who unsuccessfully lobbied Christie to sign a bill that would have reduced his state's cap on magazine capacity from 15 to 10 rounds of ammunition.

Connecticut's gun-legislation package expanded the definition of illegal assault weapons, banned gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition and mandated universal background checks for firearms and ammunition.

Foley was noncommittal when pressed about the individual components of the law, saying he wasn't governor at the time and didn't have the research staff in place to comment on various aspects of the issue. He was reluctant to share his personal views either, saying they shouldn't have a bearing on the matter.